In the quaint village of Andro in Manipur, a young Laibi Phanjoubam grew up defying the odds. She became the first woman from her village to graduate college.
Little did anyone know, this shy geography teacher would go on to shape the destinies of countless girls through an unexpected passion — football.
In the 1980s, Andro’s youth were veering toward political unrest. Laibi decided to intervene. She founded the Andro Mahila Mandal Association (AMMA) Football Club to give girls a chance to dream beyond the boundaries of their village.
With no experience in football herself, she poured her time, money, and energy into training young girls — offering them not just a sport, but a purpose.
Running a football club isn’t cheap, especially in a remote village. Laibi, now a retired schoolteacher, works tirelessly, weaving traditional textiles and running a small farm to sustain AMMA FC.
AMMA FC isn’t just about sports. Girls here learn computer skills, weaving, and sericulture. “First, learn to fend for yourself, earn money, and build an identity,” Laibi says.
Her efforts have given the girls the confidence to become self-reliant and dream bigger — to see a life beyond early marriages and societal norms.
AMMA FC is now a recognised club by the All Manipur Football Association. Laibi’s girls have played across India — Haryana, Chandigarh, Karnataka — even if Laibi herself has never stepped out of her village.
To her girls, she’s not just a mentor — she’s Ebo Laibi, or 'grandmother'. “She doesn’t play football but spends all her energy on us,” says Nirmala Devi, an AMMA graduate who now plays in the Indian Women’s League.
At barely 4 feet tall, Laibi’s stature is tiny, but her spirit is towering. Her inspiring journey was recently captured in filmmaker Meena Longjam’s documentary Andro Dreams.